Footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment with modified leg bands

ABSTRACT

A footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment includes a panty portion and two leg portions. Each one of the leg portions terminates at a leg a band. Each leg band is modified to have less elastic yarns to provide a softer and more comfortable feel.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/195,829 titled “Footless Pantyhose Underwear”, which wasfiled Oct. 10, 2008, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/204,748 titled “Footless Pantyhose Underwear with Elastic”, which wasfiled Jan. 9, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/209,852 titled “Non-control Shapewear”, which was filed Mar. 11,2009, and the subject matter of all three applications are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to concurrently filed U.S. patentapplications titled:

-   “Footless Pantyhose Undergarment” Ser. No. ______,-   “Footless Non-control Pantyhose Undergarment” Ser. No. ______,-   “Footless Non-control Pantyhose Undergarment with Modified Leg    Bands” Ser. No. ______,-   “Knitted-in Band” Ser. No. ______,-   “Footless Pantyhose Undergarment with Two-Ply Legs” Ser. No. ______,    which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a footless pantyhose undergarment, inparticular to non-control undergarments or shapewear and modifiedreinforced undergarments or shapewear made of pantyhose material.

For years women have been concerned about visible panty lines whenwearing tight clothing such as pants or clothing with delicate fabricssuch as silk. There have been numerous attempts to resolve this problem,but each has its own disadvantages.

Typically designers assume that every woman wants to slim down andtherefore, they use a great amount of elastic in the knitting process tocrate control top shapewear and place a substantial amount of pressureon the body to sculpt it. However, sculpting creates a high level ofdiscomfort. For occasional use tight undergarments or shapewears serve apurpose, but for working women who need to wear these types ofundergarments for a long period of time like ten hours or more on dailybasis, tight undergarments are not practical.

Pantyhose are typically made of a panty portion integrally knitted totwo leg portions and each portion is knitted with a body yarn such asstretch nylon or textured nylon. The body yarn in the panty portionusually has a higher denier than the one used in the leg portions tocreate opacity in the panty portion. Typically the body yarn of thepanty portion is 40-80 denier nylon and the body yarn of the legs is20-40 denier nylon. A body yarn is the main yarn used to knit thepantyhose.

In control top pantyhose, a high denier elastic yarn, such as 70 orhigher denier spandex, is coupled with the body yarn of the pantyportion to create reinforcement and place compressive force onto thebody for the purpose of sculpting and/or smoothing. Typically, theelastic yarn is used in every other course. However other variationshave also been used. The leg portions either have an elastic yarn with adenier less than the one used in the panty portion, such as 10-30 denierspandex, or they are made of just the body yarn with out any additionalelastic yarn.

In contrast to the control top pantyhose, footless pantyhoseundergarment or shapewear may have even higher denier elastic yarns,such as 100 denier or higher in the panty and leg portions. The footlesspantyhose or shapewear are also very thick which do not allow the bodyto easily breathe.

In addition, the single ply shapewear have leg bands which are madesimilar to the waistbands and have an elastic yarn with a high deniersuch as 150 denier spandex coupled to the body yarn during the knitting.The high denier spandex causes the waistband and the pantyhose to stayin place while the wearer moves.

However, the leg bands do not need such an excessive amount of elasticyarns. The conventional leg bands made with high elastic yarns such as150 denier spandex, cause a lot of discomfort and may also cause bloodcirculation problems. In addition, the compressive force causes anindentation in the leg which is not desirable when worn with tightclothing. They also are usually thicker than the rest of the leg portionbecause they have two layers and therefore do not allow the body toeasily breathe and also cause an uneven look.

Therefore, there is a need for a comfortable footless pantyhoseundergarment or shapewear to eliminate the panty line without placingexcessive pressure on the wearer's body.

In addition, there is also a need for comfortable leg bands that do notplace excessive pressure on the legs which could be used for bothcontrol and non-control footless pantyhose undergarments.

Furthermore, there is need for a thinner footless pantyhose undergarmentor shapewear and thinner leg bands to allow the body to breathe easierand look even with the leg portion.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment having a panty portion and two leg portions. Each one ofthe leg portions terminates at a leg a band. The leg band has two layersand each layer has an elastic yarn. The elastic yarn of the panty has adenier in a first range and the leg portion and each layer of the legband has an elastic yarn with a denier in a second range and the firstrange is greater than the second range.

The present invention also provides footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment where each one of the panty and the legs has an elasticyarn with a denier in a first range, each layer of the leg band has anelastic yarn with a denier in the second range and the first range isgreater than the second range.

The present invention also provides another footless reinforcedpantyhose undergarment where the panty has an elastic yarn with a denierin a first range, each one of the legs has an elastic yarn with a denierin a second range and each layer of the leg bands has an elastic yarn ina range of about 60 to about 80.

The present invention provides footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment with softer and more comfortable leg bands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the footless pantyhose undergarment of the presentinvention in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the footless pantyhose undergarment of the presentinvention in accordance with an alternative embodiment of thisinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a knitted-in band of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the footless pantyhose undergarment of FIG. 1 incombination with the knitted-in leg band of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates the footless pantyhose undergarment of FIG. 2 incombination with the knitted-in leg band of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 illustrates footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment incombination with the knitted-in leg band of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates the footless pantyhose undergarment of the presentinvention with two-ply legs.

FIG. 8 illustrates two tubular pantyhose undergarment blanks used tocreate the footless pantyhose garment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a representation of different embodiments of this inventionshowing different possibilities for the placement of their waistband andleg bands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a footless pantyhose undergarment orshapewear 10 of the present invention. The panty portion 12 covers theabdomen and the buttocks of the wearer and two leg portions 14 and 16cover the legs. The panty portion 12 ends at a waist terminating portion18, hereinafter referred to as waistband 18. Each one of the legportions 14 and 16 end at their respective leg terminating portions 20,hereinafter referred to as leg bands 20. Each leg band is made of atwo-ply knitted in band. However, the waistband 18 and leg bands 20 canbe elastic bands, knitted-in welts, knitted-in bands, or can use anyother knitting process which can create a terminating edge. Furthermore,the leg portions 14 and 16 are seamlessly knitted to the panty portion12 along the line 21.

It should be noted that, unlike fashion hosiery, the footless pantyhoseundergarment or shapewear discussed in this specification is strictlyused as an undergarment and is not visible to the public. Furthermore,in this specification, “shapewear”, “footless pantyhose undergarment”,“footless pantyhose”, “pantyhose undergarment”, or “undergarment” haveall been used interchangeably.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 10 is made with circular knittingprocess, which would create seamless legs 14 and 16 attached seamlesslyto their corresponding panty segments 12 a and 12 b. Then the tubularpanty segments 12 a and 12 b are slit and attached to each other alongthe line 23 which extends from the front of waistband 18 down to thecrotch and then up to the waist band 18. Alternatively, the crotchsection 19 can be made as a separate piece from a cotton yarn or with acotton lining to eliminate the need for wearing a panty. However, thecrotch portion may or may not be included.

It should be noted that the footless pantyhose undergarment 10 is madewith circular knitting process, but any other type of knitting process,such as flat-bed knitting process, can also be used.

The panty portion 12 and the leg portions 14 and 16 of this inventionare made of a stretch yarns, such as nylon to provide a relatively smallamount of compressive force against the body of the wearer. In otherwords, the panty portion 12 and the leg portions 14 and 16 are madeentirely with a stretch yarn without the use of elastic yarns.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 10 of this invention has a stretchnylon with a denier of 80 or less. However for a thinner footlesspantyhose undergarment 10, a stretch nylon with a denier of 60 or lessshould be used.

Stretch yarns such as nylon, stretch and recover, but can't create agreat amount of compressive force. In contrast, elastic yarns stretchand recover, but in higher deniers such as 70 denier or more, can placea great amount of compressive force on the body. Conventional shapewearsand control top pantyhose have high denier elastic to create a sculptingcompressive force. Since this embodiment does not use any elastic yarnin the panty and the leg portions 12, 14, and 16. Therefore, thefootless pantyhose undergarment 10 is non-control. Furthermore, thetwo-ply leg bands 20 are also made entirely with a stretch yarn such asstretch nylon without the use of elastic yarns. Since the leg bands donot have elastic yarns, the cross stitch can be tightened to cause theleg band to stay in place.

In this specification stretch yarns are defined as any yarn that canstretch excluding the elastic yarns.

The waistband 18 is a knitted-in welt or knitted-in band made of a bodyyarn such as nylon coupled with an elastic yarn such as 120 or higherdenier spandex during the knitting. The high denier spandex causes thewaistband and the pantyhose to stay in place while the wearer moves. Ifone desires, an elastic band can be used for the waistband 18 or the legbands 20 or for both the waistband 18 and leg bands 20.

The panty 12 and the legs 14 and 16 can be made with different deniernylon yarns to incorporate different thickness such as an opaque pantyand sheer legs or visa versa. They can also be made with differentstitch patterns. Alternatively, the panty 12 and the legs 14 and 16 canbe made with the same yarns and stitch patterns. As a result, the pantyportion extends into the leg portions with the same thickness withoutany transition line. This would create a uniform thickness and look forthe panty 12 and the leg portions 14 and 16. Furthermore, the pantyportion 12 and the leg portions 14 and 16 can be made to be all sheer orall opaque and can be knitted with any stitch pattern.

The present invention substantially reduces the compressive force placedon the body by the conventional footless pantyhose and provides acomfortable solution to eliminate panty lines.

It should be noted that the footless pantyhose undergarment 10 can alsobe made with the leg band 60 which is described in detail in referenceto FIG. 3 and the combination of the footless pantyhose 10 with the legband 60 is shown as footless pantyhose 10′ in FIG. 4. The leg band 60,shown in FIG. 3, has elastic yarns to provide a clinging effect to theleg band to keep it in place. The footless pantyhose undergarment 10 canbe combined with either the comfort leg band 60 to provide more comfortor can be combined with grip and comfort leg band 60 to provide moresnug fit with comfort.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown an alternative embodiment of thefootless pantyhose undergarment 40 of this invention. The panty portion42, which is seamlessly connected to the leg portions 44 and 46, ends ata waistband 48. Each leg portion 44 and 46 ends at one of the leg bands50. The waistband 48 and leg bands 50 can be elastic bands, knitted-inwelts, knitted-in bands, or can use any other knitting process which cancreate a terminating edge. Furthermore, the leg portions 44 and 46 areseamlessly knitted to the panty portion 42 along the line 51.

Any body yarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhoseundergarment or shapewear can be used for anyone of the embodiments ofthis invention. However for a thinner undergarment, the body yarn shouldhave a denier of 60 or less, e.g., 6.0 or 6.6 nylon with a denier of 60or less. Thinner footless pantyhose are desirable because they allow thebody to breath and move easier.

The panty portion 42 and the leg portions 44 and 46 have a common bodyyarn of about 40 denier nylon. As a result, the panty extends into thelegs with the same thickness without any transition line to create aunity between the panty and the legs. Alternatively, the panty portion42 can have a body yarn with a higher denier than the body yarn of thelegs 44 and 46 to create opacity. In either case of the common body yarnor different body yarns, each body yarn should have a denier in therange of about 60 or less. Alternatively, the panty portion 42 and theleg portions 44 and 46 can be made to be all sheer or all opaque and canbe knitted with any stitch pattern.

To create a clinging effect in the footless pantyhose undergarment 40,elastic yams with a denier of about 60 or less have been coupled withthe body yarns of the panty portion 42 and leg portions 44 and 46. Theclinging effect is a desirable feature because it causes theundergarment to stay in place during the body movement. However, theamount of elastic in yarns with a denier of about 60 or less issufficiently low to create a relatively small amount of compressiveforce against the body of the wearer. In other words, the panty portion42 and the leg portions 44 and 46 are non-control.

It should be noted that in this specification, the non-controlembodiments either do not have elastic yarns or have elastic yams with adenier that is below the typical range used for control top or supportpantyhose. Therefore, in this specification “non-control”, “withoutreinforcement” “without support”, shall all mean a type ofpantyhose/footless pantyhose knitted either without elastic yarns orwith elastic yarns having a denier of about 60 or less.

The panty portion 42 and the leg portions 44 and 46 have a commonelastic yarn of about 40 denier spandex to create a uniform thinundergarment. The elastic yarn used for the panty portion 42 and the legportions 44 and 46 can be the same or the panty portion 42 can have anelastic yarn with a different denier than the elastic yarn used for theleg portions 44 and 46. However in both cases of the common elastic yarnor different elastic yarns, each elastic yarn should have a denier ofabout 60 or less.

The elastic yarn is coupled with the body yarns of the panty and thelegs at every other course. However, the elastic yarn can be coupledwith the body yarn in any manner other than every other course.Furthermore, the elastic yarn used in different embodiments of thisinvention can be a covered elastic yarn or a bare elastic yarn.

Alternatively, the panty portion 42 can have elastic yarn in addition tothe body yarn, but the leg portions 44 and 46 can be made of only thebody yarn without any additional elastic yarns. Yet in anotherembodiment, the panty portion 42 can be made of only the body yarn andthe leg portions 44 and 46 can have elastic yarn. In any of theembodiments the elastic should have a denier of about 60 or less.

Depending on the design of the undergarment 40, there might be a need touse multiple types of elastic yarns with different deniers in each oneof the panty portion, the leg portions, or in both the panty and the legportions. In which case, the elastic yarn with the highest denier shouldhave a denier of about 60 or less.

The present invention provides a comfortable solution with a clingingeffect to eliminate panty lines.

It is well known in the industry that the best and preferred way tocreate control top pantyhose is to increase the denier of the elasticyarns. However, in some occasions, one might try to use a low denierelastic yarn and use high tension during stitching to create reinforcedpantyhose.

It should be noted that in all the non-control embodiments of thisinvention, to keep the footless pantyhose as non-control a tension ofabout 3 grams or less has been used.

The knitted-in waistband 48 has a high denier elastic yarn coupled witha body yarn during the knitting. The body yarn is a yarn such as 40denier nylon and the elastic is a yarn such as 120 denier spandex. Thehigh denier spandex causes the waistband and the pantyhose to stay inplace while the wearer moves. If one desires, the knitted-in waistbandcan be replaced with an elastic band.

The leg bands 50 can be similar to the waistband or each can be anelastic band.

However, it should be noted that the footless pantyhose undergarment 40can also be made with the leg band 60 which is described in detail inreference to FIG. 3 and the combination of the footless pantyhose 40with the leg band 60 is shown as footless pantyhose 40′ in FIG. 4. Theleg band 60, shown in FIG. 3, has a low denier elastic yarn to provide aclinging effect to the leg band to keep it in place. The footlesspantyhose undergarment 40 can be combined with either the comfort legband 60 to provide more comfort or it can be combined with grip andcomfort leg band 60 to provide more snug fit with comfort.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an enlarged view of an alternativeknitted-in leg band 60 partially lifted to expose the inside or thebottom layer 62. The knitted-in leg band 60 is a two-ply band made of acontinuous segment which has been folded along the edge 64 and attachedto each other along the line 66. The body yarn used in the leg band 60is nylon with a denier of about 60 or less to create thin leg bands.However, it should be noted that any body yarn with any denier suitablefor footless pantyhose or shapewear can also be used.

Contrary to the conventional practice of using high denier elasticyarns, such as 120 denier or higher spandex, the leg bands 60 of thisinvention are made of elastic yarns with a denier of about 60 or less tocreate a small amount of compressive force to reduce the indentationcreated by the leg bands on the wearer's legs and provide a comfortablefeel for extended wear. Since the leg bands 60 have a low denier bodyyarn and lower denier elastic compared to conventional leg bands, theyprovide a thinner and softer feel which is a very desirable feature formany women. For the purpose of clarity in this specification the legbands 60 with the elastic yarn of about 60 or less denier are called“comfort leg band 60.”

However, some women prefer a bit more snug fit, but still soft andcomfortable feel. for a more snug fit, the leg band 60 can have elasticyarns with a denier of 60-80, which is still substantially less than thetypical denier of 120 or higher, and therefore it can still provide acomfortable feel without the excess pressure. The snug fit of the legbands 60 is much less tight compared to conventional leg bands.Therefore, the combination of the low denier body yarn with the snug fitprovides a good grip with a comfortable feel. For the purpose of clarityin this specification the leg bands 60 with the elastic yarn of about 60to 80 denier are called “grip and comfort leg band 60.”

It should be noted that the following alternative embodiments equallyapply to the comfort leg band 60 and the grip and comfort leg band 60.

The outside or the top layer 68 and the bottom layer 62 can have acommon elastic yarn or each can have an elastic yarn with a differentdenier. Alternatively, only either the top layer 68 or bottom layer 62has elastic yarn. In another embodiment, the elastic yarn of the toplayer 68 has a denier greater than the denier of the elastic yarn in thebottom layer 62.

Alternatively, either the top layer 68 or both the top layer 68 and thebottom layer 62 of the folded segment are knitted with the same stitchpattern, same body yarn, and same elastic yarn as the ones in the legportion 65. In other words, the same stitch pattern and yarns of the legportion continue into the knitted in leg band to create a uniform lookbetween the top layer 68 and the leg portion 65. However, if onedesires, the stitch pattern and the body yarn can be modified to createa different look or opacity on the leg band.

The bottom layer 62 can be knitted with any appropriate stitch patternwith or without an elastic yarn. To create a more comfortable leg band,each one of the elastic yarn used in the top layer 68 and the bottomlayer 62 should have a denier equal or less than the denier of theelastic yarn used in the leg portion 65.

In the leg band 60 of FIG. 3, both the top and the bottom layers 68 and62 have a common body yarn such as 40 denier nylon. Alternatively, thetop layer 68 and the bottom layer 62 can have different body yarns. Ineither case of the common body yarn or different body yarns, the bodyyarn should have a denier in the range of about 60 or less.

However, any body yarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhoseundergarment can also be used.

It is desirable to have a leg band 60 with a stretch factor similar tothe stretch factor of the leg portions 65 to substantially reduce theindentations caused by the leg bands. Since the leg bands 60 have twolayers, the stretch factor of each leg band is the combination of thestretch factors of the two layers. Therefore, the top and bottom layerstogether create a stretch factor for the leg band.

In order to create a approximately equal stretch factor between thestretch factor of the single layer leg 65 and the stretch factors of thetwo-ply leg band 60, the sum of the deniers of the elastic yarn of thetop layer 68 and the elastic yarn of the bottom layer 62 should besubstantially equal or less than the denier of the elastic yarn used inthe leg portion 65. For example, if the elastic yarn of the leg portion65 has a denier of 40, the top layer 68 can have an elastic yarn with adenier of 30 and the bottom layer 62 can have an elastic yarn with adenier of 10. Alternatively the top layer 68 can have an elastic yarnwith a denier of 40 and the bottom layer 62 can be knitted without anelastic yarn.

It is also desirable to create a leg band 60 with the same thickness asthe thickness of the leg portion 65 to create an even look between theleg potions 65 and the leg bands 60. Since the leg bands 60 have twolayers, the thickness of each leg band 60 is the combination ofthickness of the top layer 68 and the bottom layer 62.

Therefore, in order to create a n approximately equal thickness betweenthe leg bands 60 the leg portions 65, the sum of the deniers of the bodyyarn of the top layer 68 and the body yarn of the bottom layer 62 shouldbe substantially equal or less than the denier of the body yarn used inthe leg portions 65. For example, if the body yarn of the leg portion 65has a denier of 40, the top layer 68 can have a body yarn with a denierof 30 and the bottom layer 62 can have a body yarn with a denier of 10or alternatively each one of the top layer 68 and the bottom layer 62can have a body yarn with a denier of 20.

It should also be noted that the leg band 60 can be made of differentstitch patterns. For example the leg band can be a knitted-in welt or itcan be made with any other stitch pattern such as jersey. Furthermore,the leg band 60 can be used to terminate any footless pantyhose leg witha raw edge regardless of the denier of the yarns used in the legportion. In other words, the leg band 60 can be used with reinforced,non-control, sheer, or thick footless pantyhose leg. In thisspecification, a raw edge is defined as an edge where the knitting ends.

Referring To FIG. 4, there is shown the footless pantyhose undergarment10′ which is the footless pantyhose 10 of FIG. 1 in combination with theleg band 60 of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown the footlesspantyhose undergarment 40′ which is the footless pantyhose undergarment40 of FIG. 2 in combination with the leg band 60 of FIG. 3. The samenumerals depict the like elements in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5.

It should be noted that both embodiments 10′ and 40′ can be combinedwith both comfort leg band 60 to provide a more comfortable feel or withthe grip and comfort leg band 60 to provide a snug fit with comfort.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 10′ with comfort leg band 60 has thefollowing yarn combinations: the panty portion and the leg portions haveonly stretch yarns with a denier of about 80 or less, and each layer ofthe leg band has an elastic yarn with a denier in the range of 60 orless.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 10′ with grip and comfort leg band60 has the following yarn combinations: the panty portion and the legportions have only stretch yarns with a denier of about 80 or less, andeach layer of the leg band has an elastic yarn with a denier in therange of about 60 to about 80.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 40′ with comfort leg band 60 has thefollowing yarn combinations: the panty portion, the leg portions, andeach layer of the leg band has an elastic yarn with a denier in therange of 60 or less. Within the range of 60 or less, it is possible tohave the elastic yarn of the panty to be higher than the elastic yarn inthe legs. Although not necessary, it is desirable to keep the denier ofthe elastic yarns of each layer of the leg band substantially equal orless than the denier of the elastic yarn used in the leg portions toprovide closer characteristics between the legs and the leg bands.

The footless pantyhose undergarment 40′ with grip and comfort leg band60 has the following yarn combinations: the panty portion and the legportions each has an elastic yarn with a denier of about 60 or less, andeach layer of the leg band has an elastic yarn with a denier in therange of about 60 to about 80.

It should be noted that all the alternative embodiments of the leg band60 can equally be applied to the footless pantyhose undergarments 10′and 40′.

It should also be noted that the footless pantyhose 10 and 10′ can bemade with any body yarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhoseundergarment or shapewear. However, for a thinner undergarment, the bodyyarn should have a denier of about 60 or less.

It should further be noted that the elastic yarn used in all theembodiments of this invention is spandex. However any other type ofelastic yarns can also be used.

In all the embodiments of this invention, 7 denier yarns can be usedwith microscopic knitting process to create a finer sheer effect.

The leg band 60 with all the above alternatives can also be applied toreinforced footless pantyhose undergarment, in which case the legs canhave elastic yarns with a denier of above 60 to about 150.

Footless Reinforced Pantyhose

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment 70 with leg band 60 of FIG. 3 to provide softer and morecomfortable feel. The panty portion 72 is seamlessly knitted to the twoleg portions 74 and 76 along the line 71. The panty portion 72 ends at awaistband 78 and the leg portions 74 and 76 end at leg bands 60. Thewaistband 78 can be an elastic band, knitted-in welt, or can use anyother knitting process which can create a terminating edge.

The panty portion 72 and the leg portions 74 and 76 have a common bodyyarn of about 40 denier nylon. As a result, the panty extends into thelegs with the same thickness without any transition line to create aunity between the panty and the legs. Alternatively, the panty portion72 can have a body yarn with a higher denier than the body yarn of thelegs 74 and 76 to create opaque panty and sheer legs. In either case ofthe common body yarn or different body yarns, the body yarns should havea denier in the range of about 80 or less. However, it should be notedthat any body yarn with any denier suitable for a shapewear can also beused. For a thinner undergarment, the body yarn should have a denier of60 or less. Alternatively, the panty and the legs can be made to be allsheer or all opaque and can be knitted with any type of stitch pattern.

The panty 72 has an 80 denier spandex and the legs 74 and 76 have a 40denier spandex. The elastic yarn used for the panty portion 72 and theleg portions 74 and 76 can be the same or different. In the case ofcommon elastic yarn, the elastic yarn should have a denier in the rangeof above 60 to about 150. Using a common elastic yarn in both the pantyportion and the leg portions creates reinforced panty and reinforcedlegs. However, to keep the legs non-control, the legs can be madewithout elastic or can have an elastic yarn with a denier of about 60 orless.

The waistband 78 is a knitted-in welt made of a high denier elastic yarnsuch as 120 or higher denier spandex coupled with a body yarn such asnylon during the knitting process. The high denier spandex causes thewaistband and the pantyhose to stay in place while the wearer moves. Ifone desires, the knitted-in waistband can be replaced with an elasticband. A crotch 79 may or may not be included.

The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment 70 can be combined withboth the comfort leg band 60 to provide a more comfortable feel forwomen who prefer a lighter clinging effect on the leg band.

The footless reinforced pantyhose 70 with reinforced panty portion,non-control leg portions, and comfort leg band 60 have the followingyarn combinations: the panty portion has an elastic yarn with a denierof about 60 to about 150, the leg portions have an elastic yarn with adenier of about 60 or less, and each layer of the leg band has a denierin the range of 60 or less.

The footless reinforced pantyhose 70 with reinforced panty portion,reinforced leg portions, and comfort leg band 60 have the following yarncombinations: the panty portion has an elastic yarn with a denier ofabout 60 to about 150, the leg portions have an elastic yarn with adenier of about 60 to about 150, and each layer of the leg band has adenier in the range of 60 or less.

The comfort leg band 60 can be further modified to provide approximatelyequal stretch factor between the leg band and the leg portion. So, inthe above two embodiments, the sum of the deniers of the elastic yarn inthe top and bottom layers should be substantially equal or less than thedenier of the elastic in the leg portions. In the same manner to provideapproximately equal thickness as the one in the leg portion, the sum ofthe deniers of the body yarn in the top and bottom layers should besubstantially equal or less than the denier of the body in the legportions

The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment 70 can also be combinedwith the grip and comfort leg band 60 to provide a snug fit with comfortfor women who prefer a bit tighter grip on the leg bands.

The footless reinforced pantyhose 70 with reinforced panty portion,non-control leg portions, and grip and comfort leg band 60 have thefollowing yarn combinations: the panty portion has an elastic yarn witha denier of about 60 to about 150, the leg portions have an elastic yarnwith a denier of about 60 or less, and each layer of the leg band has adenier in the range of about 60 to about 80.

The footless reinforced pantyhose 70 with reinforced panty portion,reinforced leg portions, and grip and comfort leg band 60 have thefollowing yarn combinations: the panty portion has an elastic yarn witha denier of about 60 to about 150, the leg portions have an elastic yarnwith a denier of about 60 to about 150, and each layer of the leg bandhas a denier in the range of about 60 to about 80.

It should be noted that the above embodiments can be made with any bodyyarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhose undergarment orshapewear. However, for a thinner undergarment, the body yarn shouldhave a denier of about 60 or less.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a footless pantyhose undergarment orshapewear 80 which does not have leg bands. The panty portion 82 isseamlessly knitted to two leg portions 84 and 86 along the line 81. Thewaistband 88 can be an elastic band, knitted-in welts, knitted-in bands,or can use any other knitting process which can create a terminatingedge.

Conventional designs have an integrally knitted-in leg band knitted toeach leg portion to finish the leg portion.

Departing from the conventional methods, the entire leg portions 84 and86 of the undergarment 80 of FIG. 7 are made of two-ply segments. Eachtwo-ply segment of the leg bands 84 and 86 is made of a tubular segmentfolded to create two plies and attached to each other where the legsconnect to the panty portion along the line 81. In other words, thepanty portion 82 has a single layer, but each leg portion 84 and 86 hastwo plies made of a folded tubular segment connected to the pantyportion during the knitting process. The fold line 89 is where the legportions end and therefore the leg portions 84 and 86 don't need legbands. The folded segment can be made of jersey knit, knitted-in welt orany other stitch pattern.

In one embodiment, the footless pantyhose undergarment 80 is made withcircular knitting process, which would create seamless legs 84 and 86attached seamlessly to the panty portion 82.

Referring to FIG. 8, there are shown two tubular pantyhose blanks 90 and92 which create the footless pantyhose undergarment 80 of FIG. 7. InFIGS. 7 and 8 the identical numerals depict the like elements. Thetubular pantyhose blanks 90 and 92 each includes a panty segment 82 _(a)and 82 _(b) respectively and a leg segment shown as an unfolded segment95 in the tubular pantyhose blank 90 and as a folded segment 86 in thetubular pantyhose blank 92. Each panty segment 82 _(a) and 82 _(b) isknitted to its respective leg segment shown as unfolded segment 95 andshown as folded segment 86 as one piece in their respective pantyhoseblanks.

The tubular panty segments 82 _(a) and 82 _(b) and are slit and shown byU shapes 94. The two tubular panty segments 82 _(a) and 82 _(b) will beattached to each other along the U shapes 94 to create the panty portion82 of FIG. 7. The tubular pantyhose blank 90 is shown as one ply. Theedge 96 of each one of the tubular pantyhose blanks 90 and 92 will bepulled inside the tubular pantyhose blank and pulled up to create afolded segment with two plies. Once the edge 96 is pulled up all the wayto line 81, as shown on tubular pantyhose blank 92, then it will beattached to the top layer along the line 81. This process creates asingle layer panty 82 with two-ply legs 84 and 86, as shown in FIG. 7,and eliminates the need for any leg bands.

It should be noted that in each tubular pantyhose blank 90 and, theyarns can be changed in each segment. Therefore, in each tubularpantyhose blank 90 and 92, each panty portions 82 _(a) and 82 _(b) canhave its own body yarn and elastic yarns and each segment 93 and 97which represent the top and bottom layers respectively of each legportion can have its own body yarn and elastic yarn. For example pantyportion 82 a can have a first body yarn and a first elastic yarn.Segment 93 which is to the top layer of the leg portion 84 can have asecond body yarn and a second elastic yarn while segment 97 can have athird body yarn and a third elastic yarn. However, the identicalsegments in each tubular pantyhose blank should be kept the same tocreate symmetrical pantyhose.

The footless pantyhose 80 eliminates the need for leg bands and as aresult, eliminates the problems associated with leg bands such asindentation and uneven thickness created by conventional leg bands.

Referring back to FIG. 7, it should be noted that alternatively, thetwo-ply legs 84 and 86 can also be made of two separate pieces that areconnected to each other and then connected to the panty portion.

Alternatively, the crotch section can be made as a separate piece from acotton yarn or with a cotton lining to eliminate the need for wearing apanty. Yet a crotch may or may not be included.

The embodiment of FIG. 7 can be used for dual purposes. One purposewould be to provide comfort and the second would be to providereinforcement for slimming down in which case either the panty portionor both the panty and the leg portions will be reinforced.

In the non-control embodiment, the panty portion 82 and the leg portions84 and 86 each has a body yarn of about 80 or less denier nylon.However, any body yarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhoseundergarment can also be used. The body yarns of the panty portion 82and the leg portions 84 and 86 can be the same or can be different. Inaddition, elastic yarns can be coupled with the body yarn of the pantyportion 82 and/or the leg portions 84 and 86. However, the elastic yarnwith the highest denier should have a denier of about 60 or less.

In the reinforced embodiment, the panty 82 and the leg portions 84 and86 each has a body yarn of about 80 or less denier nylon. However, anybody yarn with any denier suitable for footless pantyhose undergarmentcan also be used. The body yarns of the panty portion 82 and the legportions 84 and 86 can be the same or can be different.

In addition, in the reinforced embodiment, high denier elastic yarns arecoupled with the body yarn of at least the panty portion 82 to createthe footless control top pantyhose undergarment 80. The elastic yarns,used to create reinforcement should have a denier of above 60 to about150. The leg portions 84 and 86 can have the same elastic yarn as theone in the panty portion 82 or can have an elastic yarn with a lower orhigher denier. If the same elastic yarn is used in both panty portion 82and the leg portions 84 and 86 or if an elastic yarn with a higherdenier than the one in the panty portion is used in the leg portions,the leg portions 84 and 86 will be reinforced. To create non-controllegs the elastic yarn used in the leg portions should have a denier ofabout 60 or less.

The panty 82 and leg portions 84 and 86 can be designed to havedifferent opacity. The panty and the legs can be all sheer or allopaque. Alternatively, the panty portion can be opaque and the legs canbe sheer or visa versa.

To provide an approximately equal stretch factor between the pantyportion and the leg portions, the sum of the deniers of the elasticyarns used in each layer of the two-ply leg portion should be equal orless than the denier of the elastic yarn used in the panty portion.

To provide an approximately equal thickness between the panty portionand the leg portions, the sum of the deniers of the body yarn used ineach layer of the two-ply leg portion should be equal or less than thedenier of the body yarn used in the panty portion.

It should be noted in this specification, the terms “control”,“support”, and “reinforced” have been used interchangeably and they allmean a pantyhose made with elastic yarns having a denier of above 60 toabout 150.

In one embodiment, the body yarn used for the panty portion 82 is about40 denier and the body yarn used for the legs is about 30. However, anybody yarn suitable for a shapewear can also be used.

Referring to FIG. 9, due to the changes in fashion, the waistline ofclothes move up and down. In any of the above embodiments 10, 10′, 40,40′, 70 and 80, the panty portions 12, 42, 72 and 82 (shown by 112 inFIG. 9) can be designed to have the waistband 18, 48, 78 and 88 (shownby 118 in FIG. 9) end somewhere from above the waistline 100 to belowthe waistline 102. In the same manner, the leg bands 20, 40, 50, 60, andthe fold line 89 (shown by 120 in FIG. 8) can be designed to terminateanywhere from above the knee 104 to anywhere below the knee 106.

It should be noted that numerous changes in details of construction,combination, and arrangement of elements may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

1. A footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment comprising: a pantyportion; two leg portions connected to the panty portion; two leg bands;each of the leg portions terminating at one of the leg bands; each oneof the leg bands having a top layer and a bottom layer; the pantyportion comprising a first elastic yarn with a denier in a first rangehaving a lowest value to a highest value; the leg portions comprising asecond elastic yarn with a denier in a second range having a lowestvalue to a highest value; the top layer of each leg band comprising athird elastic yarn with a denier in the second range; and the bottomlayer of each leg band comprising a fourth elastic yarn with a denier inthe second range, wherein the lowest value of the first range is greaterthan the highest value of the second range.
 2. The footless reinforcedpantyhose undergarment of claim 1, wherein the panty portion terminatesat a waist band.
 3. The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment ofclaim 1, wherein the first range is above 60 to about
 150. 4. Thefootless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 1, wherein thesecond range is about 60 or less.
 5. The footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment of claim 1, wherein the sum of the deniers of the third andfourth elastic yarns is substantially equal or less than the denier ofthe second elastic yarn.
 6. The footless reinforced pantyhoseundergarment of claim 1, wherein the elastic yarn is spandex.
 7. Thefootless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 1 further comprisesa body yarn with a denier of 60 or less.
 8. A footless reinforcedpantyhose undergarment comprising: a panty portion; two leg portionsconnected to the panty portion; two leg bands; each of the leg portionsterminating at one of the leg bands; each one of the leg bands having atop layer and a bottom layer; the panty portion comprising a firstelastic yarn with a denier in a first range having a highest value; theleg portions comprising a second elastic yarn with a denier in the firstrange; the top layer of each leg band comprising a third elastic yarnwith a denier in second range having a lowest value to a highest value;and the bottom layer of each leg band comprising a fourth elastic yarnwith a denier in the second range, wherein the lowest value of the firstrange is greater than the highest value of the second range.
 9. Thefootless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 8, wherein the pantyportion terminates at a waist band.
 10. The footless reinforcedpantyhose undergarment of claim 8, wherein the first range is above 60to about
 150. 11. The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment ofclaim 8, wherein the second range is about 60 or less.
 12. The footlessreinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 8, wherein the sum of thedeniers of the third and fourth elastic yarns is substantially equal orless than the denier of the second elastic yarn.
 13. The footlessreinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 8, wherein the elastic yarnis spandex.
 14. The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim8 further comprises a body yarn with a denier of 60 or less.
 15. Afootless reinforced pantyhose undergarment comprising: a panty portion;two leg portions connected to the panty portion; two leg bands; each ofthe leg portions terminating at one of the leg bands; each one of theleg bands having a top layer and a bottom layer; the panty portioncomprising a first elastic yarn with a denier in a first range; the legportions comprising a second elastic yarn with a denier in a secondrange; and each one of the top layer and the bottom layer of leg bandscomprising a third elastic yarn with a denier in a range of about 60 toabout 80 deniers.
 16. The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment ofclaim 15, wherein the panty portion terminates at a waist band.
 17. Thefootless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 15, wherein thefirst range is above 60 to about
 150. 18. The footless reinforcedpantyhose undergarment of claim 15, wherein the second range is about 60or less.
 19. The footless reinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 15,wherein the second range is above 60 to about
 150. 20. The footlessreinforced pantyhose undergarment of claim 1 further comprises a bodyyarn with a denier of 60 or less.